TWO MORE SENTENCED, TWO MORE PLEAD GUILTY IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, ON DISASTER RELIEF FRAUD CHARGES

BATON ROUGE, LA - Two more Louisiana residents were sentenced, and two more pled guilty in federal court on charges of fraud related to hurricane disaster relief programs, United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced today.

JACETHEN HALL, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 20, 2007, to Count Two of an indictment charging him with illegal conversion of government property, that is, a check from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for expedited disaster assistance. HALL was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Frank J. Polozola to a term of imprisonment of seven months and $2,000 in restitution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation of this matter.

LISA M. WILLIAMS, age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 4, 2007, to Count One of an indictment charging her with making a false and fraudulent claim for disaster relief benefits. WILLIAMS was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Frank J. Polozola to three years probation and $2,000 in restitution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation of this matter.

KIM W. MAJOR, age 48, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge John V. Parker to Count One of an indictment charging her with mail fraud. The indictment alleges that in September of 2005, MAJOR filed two fraudulent claims for FEMA disaster assistance. The indictment alleges that in the second application, which MAJOR filed using the name "KIMWONG BAIRD," she falsely claimed that her primary residence at the time of the storm was in New Orleans, Louisiana. The United States has charged that MAJOR was able to sustain her fraudulent scheme by obtaining a driver's license bearing her name and picture but containing the New Orleans address she had used in her FEMA application, which she then used in subsequent correspondence with FEMA regarding the application. The defendant received more than $25,000 in disaster assistance benefits to which she was not entitled. She has agreed to repay this entire amount pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service. As a result of her guilty plea, MAJOR faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office will dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment when MAJOR is sentenced.

KIMBERLY S. BOWMAN, age 21, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge John V. Parker to Count One of an indictment charging her with mail fraud. The indictment alleges that BOWMAN filed two fraudulent claims for FEMA disaster assistance and received $2,000 for each fraudulent claim. The indictment also alleges that BOWMAN submitted a fraudulent claim to FEMA and the Louisiana Department of Labor for disaster unemployment assistance, falsely reporting that she had lost her job as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina. Through this application, in addition to the FEMA disaster assistance benefits she had already received, the defendant received approximately $4,255 in unemployment assistance benefits to which she was not entitled. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General. As a result of her guilty plea, BOWMAN faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office will dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment when BOWMAN is sentenced.

The total number of individuals who have been charged in the Middle District of Louisiana with violations related to hurricane disaster relief funds stands at one hundred twenty-nine.
In September 2005, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes such as charity fraud, identity theft, procurement fraud and insurance fraud. The Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force - chaired by Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division - includes the FBI, the U.S. Inspectors General community, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and others.

For further information, contact David R. Dugas, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, or Lyman Thornton, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, at (225) 389-0443. Anyone suspecting criminal activity involving disaster assistance programs can make an anonymous report by calling the toll-free Hurricane Relief Fraud Hotline, 1-866-720-5721, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice. Information can also be emailed to the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force at <mailto:HKFTF@leo.gov> HKFTF@leo.gov or sent by surface mail, with as many details as possible, to Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: KATHY ENGLISH OCTOBER 12, 2007 PHONE: (504) 680-3068 <http://WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/LAE> WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/LAE FAX: (504) 589-4978

TWO MORE SENTENCED, TWO MORE PLEAD GUILTY IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, ON DISASTER RELIEF FRAUD CHARGES BATON ROUGE, LA - Two more Louisiana residents were sentenced, and two more pled guilty in federal court on charges of fraud related to hurricane disaster relief programs, United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced today. JACETHEN HALL, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 20, 2007, to Count Two of an indictment charging him with illegal conversion of government property, that is, a check from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for expedited disaster assistance. HALL was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Frank J. Polozola to a term of imprisonment of seven months and $2,000 in restitution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation of this matter. LISA M. WILLIAMS, age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 4, 2007, to Count One of an indictment charging her with making a false and fraudulent claim for disaster relief benefits. WILLIAMS was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Frank J. Polozola to three years probation and $2,000 in restitution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation of this matter. KIM W. MAJOR, age 48, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge John V. Parker to Count One of an indictment charging her with mail fraud. The indictment alleges that in September of 2005, MAJOR filed two fraudulent claims for FEMA disaster assistance. The indictment alleges that in the second application, which MAJOR filed using the name "KIMWONG BAIRD," she falsely claimed that her primary residence at the time of the storm was in New Orleans, Louisiana. The United States has charged that MAJOR was able to sustain her fraudulent scheme by obtaining a driver's license bearing her name and picture but containing the New Orleans address she had used in her FEMA application, which she then used in subsequent correspondence with FEMA regarding the application. The defendant received more than $25,000 in disaster assistance benefits to which she was not entitled. She has agreed to repay this entire amount pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service. As a result of her guilty plea, MAJOR faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office will dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment when MAJOR is sentenced. KIMBERLY S. BOWMAN, age 21, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge John V. Parker to Count One of an indictment charging her with mail fraud. The indictment alleges that BOWMAN filed two fraudulent claims for FEMA disaster assistance and received $2,000 for each fraudulent claim. The indictment also alleges that BOWMAN submitted a fraudulent claim to FEMA and the Louisiana Department of Labor for disaster unemployment assistance, falsely reporting that she had lost her job as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina. Through this application, in addition to the FEMA disaster assistance benefits she had already received, the defendant received approximately $4,255 in unemployment assistance benefits to which she was not entitled. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General. As a result of her guilty plea, BOWMAN faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office will dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment when BOWMAN is sentenced. The total number of individuals who have been charged in the Middle District of Louisiana with violations related to hurricane disaster relief funds stands at one hundred twenty-nine. In September 2005, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes such as charity fraud, identity theft, procurement fraud and insurance fraud. The Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force - chaired by Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division - includes the FBI, the U.S. Inspectors General community, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and others. For further information, contact David R. Dugas, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, or Lyman Thornton, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, at (225) 389-0443. Anyone suspecting criminal activity involving disaster assistance programs can make an anonymous report by calling the toll-free Hurricane Relief Fraud Hotline, 1-866-720-5721, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice. Information can also be emailed to the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force at <mailto:HKFTF@leo.gov> HKFTF@leo.gov or sent by surface mail, with as many details as possible, to Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.